Planning for Expansion - Mike Hauser Academy

Planning for the Chamber’s 2017 Mike Hauser Academy kicked off this week in a meeting that convened individuals from education, public safety and local businesses. The group was excited about the growth potential for the 2017 Academy, arising from merging with Santa Rosa City Schools’ M.O.V.E. Academy program. With this new partnership, our goal is to have 200 students from Santa Rosa City Schools and Roseland School district as well as 60 students from Sebastopol, Healdsburg and Rohnert Park participate in this year’s program.

This new partnership will also allow for the hiring of four additional teachers in Santa Rosa, and includes a commitment from Santa Rosa City Schools to track student success through high school and their increase in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) interest and success. Santa Rosa students will also receive five high school elective credits for completing the program.

Although scheduling host sites is just beginning, many business partners have committed to participating in the Academy again, including Keysight Technologies, Viavi Solutions, TLCD Architecture and Summit Engineering. If your business is in the STEM fields and would like to host a class for 2 – 5 days from 8:30-1:30 please let us know. For information about hosting or donating to the Mike Hauser Academy, please contact Ananda Sweet at (707) 636-3662 or AnandaS@SantaRosaChamber.com.

The Academy came to life through the vision of the late Mike Hauser, President of the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce. He realized that students for whom English is a second language graduate from high school at a lower rate than other students. His vision was to give those students a head start in algebra, perhaps the key skill needed for high school graduation. From this vision an incredible partnership was formed between the Chamber, local educators and businesses, and the first Mike Hauser Algebra Academy was launched in the summer of 2008.

For the 2017 Academy, we will increase our ability to have a positive impact on high school graduation rates. Given Mike’s initial vision, we will continue to focus on English Language Learners but will include additional students who would benefit most from the program. We are committed to continue to expand the number of our community’s youth served by the program and therefore inspired to reach their full potential.

The Mike Hauser Academy offers students entering ninth grade the unique opportunity to visit various STEM related companies for a collaborative learning experience applying classroom math and science concepts to workplace roles and activities. Students interact with engineers and professionals, observe demonstrations and participate in hands-on activities that reinforce daily onsite lessons given by a credentialed math or science teacher. Students have the opportunity to tour onsite production/manufacturing facilities and/or laboratories at the local companies.

The Mike Hauser Academy connects classroom concepts to real jobs in a fun and interactive way increasing student interest in pursuing STEM related degrees and careers. According to our 2016 survey results, 95% of participants reported that the Academy increased their interest in a STEM career and 89% of participants reported that the program increased their interest in a STEM major.